According to the pilot, he was on the final approach leg of the traffic pattern at 80 mph. During the landing roll on the 2,590-foot, turf runway, the pilot applied the brakes, but the airplane continued off the end of the runway, impacted a fence, and came to rest in a nose-low position, sustaining substantial damage to the wing spars. Examination of the wreckage, which included an operational check of the wheel braking system, revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. According to the Ercoupe Instruction Manual, the recommended landing approach airspeed was "between 60 and 70 mph." The instruction manual also indicated that landing the airplane at a higher airspeed and applying the brakes "will require decidedly less overall distance than it would if the airplane were held off the ground until minimum speed had been reached." A published landing distance table for the airplane indicated that, with an approach speed of 75 mph, the landing distance over a 50-foot obstruction on a paved runway would be about 1,800 feet.